Connector crimping pliers



W. G. SCHINSKE CONNECTOR CRIMPING PLIERS Filed March 23, 1953 Q9 .Far/rerf Carzer .iziorneys I 2,731,862 CONNECTOR CRIMPIN G PLIERS William G. Schinske,

Industries, Inc., ware Sycamore, lll., assignor to Ideal Sycamore, 111., a corporation of Dela- My invention resides in the field of electricians pliers the invention reduces the number of tools an electrician is required to carry.

The primary object of my invention is a new and improved device in the nature of electricians pliers with crimping, crushing or compression dies appropriately inositioned thereon crimp connection.

Another object of my invention is electricians pliers which allow for flaring of the ends of stranded wires or solid wires and also allow for flaring of the ends of the Another object of my invention is electricians pliers constructed to perform a crimping operation and arranged so that the handles of standard electricians pliers have to be lengthened to apply the leverage necessary for crimping and cutting operations.

Another object of my invention is electricians pliers of the above type constructed so that the working surfaces on the jaw portions regulate the maximum penetration of the male die element into the recessed female die.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and claims in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of electricians pliers embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l, on a reduced scale, illustrating a modified form of my invention.

In Figure 1 I have illustrated what might be termed conventional electricians pliers, indicated generally at 10, which have two main lever members 12 and 14 pivoted together on an appropriate pivot 16. On one side of the pivot a pair of jaw members 20 are provided while on the other side of the pivot a pair of conventional handles, not shown in full, are provided. The inner or coacting faces of the jaw members are provided first, with serrated or gripping portions 22 as shown in Figure 2, and secondly, cutting or knife portions 24 which are positioned between the gripping surfaces 22 and the pivot.

The main lever members are provided on each side of the pivot with appropriate bearing members 26 and 28 which are concentric with the pivots to provide for smooth operation of the lever members and the jaw members.

In the preferred form of my invention in Figure 1, a pair of co-acting die members or crimping dies are positioned between the main lever members adjacent the pivot but on the opposite side from the jaw members. These die members are indicated generally at 30 in Fig view taken along the line 4-4 ited States Patent C) we 1 and include an upper die 32 which is semi-circular in cross-section and uniform throughout its length as also semi-circular in cross section and uniform throughout a portion of its length as shown at 36 in Figure 3; the other portion of this die has a, protruding or raised portion which, when the lever members or handles are completely closed, as shown in Figure 1, protrude slightly into the trough or open space formed by the upper die in Figure 3 as shown, this protruding pora valley in between, this formation in contour being specifically chosen to effect a tight and etficient electrical crimp or connection. It should be noted in Figure 1 that the lower die member 34 is formed as an insert, which may be, but is not necessarily, the case with the upper die member, and after a pair of electricians pliers as shown are appropriately machined so as to provide a slot, the insertable die member 34 is inserted and appropriately secured by brazing or the like in position.

Just to the rear or behind the crimping dies, the inner faces 42 and 44 of the handle portions are formed so that they are positioned contiguous to each other when the jaw portions are completely closed. This formation is desirable in that electricians are known to remove the insulation from wires by crushing or shredding the same in a compressing or squeezing action between the two adjacent inner surfaces of the handle portions of the conventional electricians pliers. After the insulation is crushed and deformed, it can be easily torn away by the jaw portions, consequently in my new improved electricians pliers, I have found it desirable to extend these two inner surfaces, if necessary, so that they will be contiguous and can be used in the somewhat unorthodox but nevertheless desirable and effective stripping procedure outlined hereinabove. The surfaces 42 and 44 could be serrated, of course.

In Figure 5 I have shown a modification of my invention in which the die members indicated generally at 5%) are positioned on the standard electricians pliers between the pivot and the knife portion-in other words, on the other side of the pivot from the handle members. The upper die 52 is semi-circular in cross-section and is similar if not identical with the upper die 32 in the modification of Figure 1. The same is true of the lower die 54 which has substantially the same contour and formation as the lower die 34 in Figure 1. In the modification of Figure 5 it should be realized that the forward jaw portions 56 and 58 must be extended substantially so as to provide room between the pivot and the knife or cutting portions, and in this respect a pair of standard electricians pliers must be altered.

The use, operation and function of my invention are as follows:

I have taken what might be termed a pair of conven tional electricians pliers and altered them by the inclusion of a pair of co-axial die members. One of the problems that confronts the present day electrician is the necessity of having a wide variety of tools to be used in his work. In the past the above disclosed and described pliers represent what might be termed conventional electricians pliers and in addition to carrying these, the electrician has also had to have in his possession a crimping tool which is similar in many respects to the standard pliers except that it has a pair of co-acting die members which serve to crush or crimp the metal sleeve within which at least two bare electric wires have been inserted, thus forming a tight electrical connection. By my invention, the die portions are either permanently machined into or put in the form of inserts or attachments on a pair of standard electricians pliers. in Figure l the lower die with the upwardly protruding portion 38 is formed as an insert and appropriately brazed or otherwise secured in the slot which is previously formed in one of the handle members. The dies co-act with one another and move about the center pivot when in operation.

The preferred form of my invention is co-acting dies adjacent the pivot but on the opposite side from the jaw members; however, these dies can be placed between the pivot and the jaw members so as to be directly adjacent the knife or cutting members and the gripping portion.

In its broadest sense my invention contemplates a pair of co-acting crimping dies positioned on the pivoted handle portions at any location adjacent and about the pivot, and the two illustrations should not be taken as a restriction from other modifications where the crimping dies are positioned at any location about the center pivot.

Although i have only shown a portionof the handle or lever members 12 and 14 in Figures 1 and 2, it will be understood that the members extend so as to afford proper leverage for the electrician, depending upon the position of the die members with relation to the pivot, regardless of which side of the pivot the die members are located on.

it is also important to note that a cavity or slot 36 is provided adjacent crown elements 40 so that as the ends of the wires and the ends of the sleeves tend to flare when the center of the sleeve is being compressed and indented by the crowns, the stranded wires and the end of the sleeve will have a slot or cavity in which to flow. This prevents the metal in the sleeve and the wires from flowing out of the cavity on either side either laterally or longitudinally which will prevent an effective crimp conneetion.

It should also be noted that 32 will be positioned on the lower handle member, as viewed from the handles forwardly, when the pliers are held by the right hand with the cutting edges or knives 24 on the left side. Thus a crimp connection can be formed from start to finish without the necessity of the operator or electrician shifting the pliers from one hand to the other or putting them down because the sleeve can be laid in the recess 32 and supported by it alone. If the maladies or crowns 40 were on the lower handle member when held by the right hand, then the sleeve could not'be balanced without additional support. This relationship is true of the species in both Figures 1 and 5.

While l have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, and one modification thereof, it should be understood that numerous modifications, alterations and changes may be made without departing therefrom;

the female cavity or recess for example, the invention is not restricted to the precise electricians pliers shown, and any other electricians pliers which have the advantages and functions, plus the characteristics of those shown, would be satisfactory. addition, the invention should not be restricted to the precise crimping dies shown, as a wide variety of dies to produce configurations and indentations in the metallic sleeve around the wires could be used without departing from the invention. Accordingly, I desire that my invention be unrestricted except by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pair of electricians pliers, two members connected near one end by a pivot with jaw portions on one side of the pivot and elongated handle portions on the other, opposed die surfaces adjacent the pivot on the handle portions adapted to coact with one another upon manual manipulation of the handle portions to effect a crimping action when a crimping sleeve surrounding the stripped ends of electric wires is positioned between them, the die surfaces including a male die with a projecting crown on one handle portion and a concave recessed female die on the other to receive a crimping sleeve, the projecting crown on the male die extending a predetermined distance into the recessed female die when the jaw portions are closed and defining a longitudinally arcuate, laterally disposed crimping cavity between the female die and the projecting crown, the male die being laterally recessed adjacent the projecting crown to allow for flaring of the ends of the electric wires and crimping sleeve during the latter portion of a crimping operation, the point of maximum penetration of the projecting crown on the male die into the concave recessed female die being determined by contact between the jaw portions, the die surfaces being positioned directly adjacent the pivot so that a maximum leverage can be applied to them while using a minimum force on the handle portions to overcome the resistance offered by the electric wires and crimping sleeve during crimping operations.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the projecting crown is positioned on one side of the male die with the lateral recess on the other side.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

